Value creation in the product development process

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, February 2002.Includes bibliographical references (p. 106-110).by James P. Chase.S.M

Global communication part 1: the use of apparel CAD technology

Trends needed for improved communication systems, through the development of future computer-aided design technology (CAD) applications, is a theme that has received attention due to its perceived benefits in improving global supply chain efficiencies. This article discusses the developments of both 2D and 3D computer-aided design capabilities, found within global fashion supply chain relationships and environments. Major characteristics identified within the data suggest that CAD/CAM technology appears to be improving; however, evidence also suggest a plateau effect, which is accrediting forced profits towards information technology manufactures, and arguably compromising the industry's competitive advantage. Nevertheless, 2D CAD increases communication speed; whereas 3D human interaction technology is seen to be evolving slowly and questionably with limited success. The article discusses the findings and also presents the issues regarding human interaction; technology education; and individual communication enhancements using technology processes. These are still prevalent topics for the future developments of global strategy and cultural communication amalgamation

Lithium isotopes within the ab intio no-core full configuration approach

We perform no-core full configuration calculations for the Lithium isotopes, 6Li, 7Li, and 8Li with the realistic nucleon-nucleon interaction JISP16. We obtain a set of observables, such as spectra, radii, multipole moments, transition rates, etc., and compare with experiment where available. We also present one-body density distributions for selected states. Convergence properties of these density distributions shed light on the convergence properties of one-body observables. We obtain underbinding by 0.5 MeV, 0.7 MeV, and 1.0 MeV for 6Li, 7Li, 8Li respectively. Magnetic moments are well-converged and agree with experiment to within 20%.Comment: 16 pages, 25 eps figures; typos corrected and added referenc

An Autonomous Agent Framework for Constellation Missions: A Use Case for Predicting Atmospheric CO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e

Distributed systems missions (DSM), also known as swarm or constellation missions, is an upcoming class of mission design that is changing the current landscape.Swarms enable multipoint observations and higher fidelity science data collection. Autonomy is a critical feature that DSM will require in order to run successfully, especially beyond earth-centric missions and in dynamic environments due to increased delays between ground and space

Temporal dynamics of aquatic communities and implications for pond conservation

Conservation through the protection of particular habitats is predicated on the assumption that the conservation value of those habitats is stable. We test this assumption for ponds by investigating temporal variation in macroinvertebrate and macrophyte communities over a 10-year period in northwest England. We surveyed 51 ponds in northern England in 1995/6 and again in 2006, identifying all macrophytes (167 species) and all macroinvertebrates (221 species, excluding Diptera) to species. The alpha-diversity, beta-diversity and conservation value of these ponds were compared between surveys. We find that invertebrate species richness increased from an average of 29. 5 species to 39. 8 species between surveys. Invertebrate gamma-diversity also increased between the two surveys from 181 species to 201 species. However, this increase in diversity was accompanied by a decrease in beta-diversity. Plant alpha-, beta and gamma-diversity remained approximately constant between the two periods. However, increased proportions of grass species and a complete loss of charophytes suggests that the communities are undergoing succession. Conservation value was not correlated between sampling periods in either plants or invertebrates. This was confirmed by comparing ponds that had been disturbed with those that had no history of disturbance to demonstrate that levels of correlation between surveys were approximately equal in each group of ponds. This study has three important conservation implications: (i) a pond with high diversity or high conservation value may not remain that way and so it is unwise to base pond conservation measures upon protecting currently-speciose habitats; (ii) maximising pond gamma-diversity requires a combination of late and early succession ponds, especially for invertebrates; and (iii) invertebrate and plant communities in ponds may require different management strategies if succession occurs at varying rates in the two groups

The Phoenix Mars Landing: An Initial Look

This presentation was part of the session : Ongoing and Proposed EDL Technology DevelopmentSixth International Planetary Probe WorkshopNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander will make a landing on Mars on May 25th, 2008. Following on from the overview of the Phoenix entry, descent and landing (EDL) system given at IPPW5, an initial look at the Phoenix landing will be presented, highlighting the salient, high level events that occurred during EDL. Initial EDL flight reconstruction results will be presented, along with a retelling of the flight operations events that occurred on approach to Mars, and during the landing event itself. Note: Given the short time duration between the Phoenix landing and IPPW6, only a presentation will be prepared for the workshop.NAS

Epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli carriage in sympatric humans and livestock in a rapidly urbanizing city

There are substantial limitations in understanding of the distribution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans and livestock in developing countries. This papers present the results of an epidemiological study examining patterns of AMR in Escherichia coli isolates circulating in sympatric human (n = 321) and livestock (n = 633) samples from 99 households across Nairobi, Kenya. E. coli isolates were tested for susceptibility to 13 antimicrobial drugs representing nine antibiotic classes. High rates of AMR were detected, with 47.6% and 21.1% of isolates displaying resistance to three or more and five or more antibiotic classes, respectively. Human isolates showed higher levels of resistance to sulfonamides, trimethoprim, aminoglycosides and penicillins compared with livestock (P0.05). These findings revealed a high prevalence of AMR E. coli circulating in healthy humans and livestock in Nairobi, with no evidence to suggest that keeping livestock, when treated as a single risk factor, contributed significantly to the burden of AMR in humans, although the presence of livestock waste was significant. These results provide an understanding of the broader epidemiology of AMR in complex and interconnected urban environments